On this day in 1955, F. W. Woolworth opened a new store on West Fourth and Spruce Streets.
The first Woolworth store opened in Winston-Salem in 1916, located on Liberty Street. Fires damaged the store over the years, but it was rebuilt, remodeled, and re-equipped.
The new store on Fourth Street was not only newly-built, but it offered the new concept of a self-service store. Even with the new concept, the store would employ about 50 people. There were 25 separate departments on the main floor, plus a bakery and two lunch and fountain departments with seating capacity of 75 customers. Seven check-out lines helped provide speedy service.
The newspaper ad for the new store featured men’s long-sleeve gabardine sport shirts and chenille rugs for $1.88, ruffled tier curtains for 77-cents, Turkish towels for 59-cents, and 8 x 10 pictures for 39-cents.
Woolworth was located beside the Carolina Theatre, and occupied half of the business block. The site was previously occupied by three stores and a theatre. This store is the largest Southern store in the chain.
A face-lift was announced for the Liberty Street store as well, and it would also introduce the self-service concept.
And, in one month, another Woolworth self-service store would open at the Thruway Shopping Center.
In the photo above, a line has formed from the Carolina Theatre, snaking its way in front and down the side of Woolworth’s. People are lined-up to see the movie “Giant,” in 1956.
Photo courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
